Things to Do this Weekend in Edmonton

Weekend Activities and Events in Edmonton

December 21 to 26, 2018

A digest of What’s On in and around Edmonton during this weekend including free fun family activities, weekend events & activities for kids, live music, performing arts & theatre and sports events. Few weekday events are also listed.

I. Family Events & Activities

Winter Wagon Nights

Who can resist wagon rides and winter lights in the beauty of the Edmonton river valley? Gather friends, family, and your special someone for Winter Wagon Nights. You and your guests will enjoy a mesmerizing trip through Fort Edmonton Park’s 1920s Street in a cozy horse-drawn wagon. Make lasting memories as you enjoy hot chocolate, shimmering lights, and beautiful sights.Details

December 20 to 29, 2018

Fort Edmonton park
7000 143 Street, Edmonton

$10; Children under 3 are free.

Free admission day

It’s the first weekend of winter and Elk Island National Park is celebrating with free entry.

Christmas Lights

Celebrate the Season: Following the Legislature Light-Up on December 4, musical ensembles from throughout the province will grace the Legislature rotunda’s grand staircase with daily performances during Celebrate the Season. December 7 to 23, 2018 @ 10800 97 Avenue NW, Edmonton

Glow Christmas – St Albert: Glow is the largest indoor Christmas festival in Edmonton. Bring together the people you love to stroll, laugh and play under the twinkle of half a million lights. Explore 80,000 sq ft of interactive light sculptures, Stroll under 50,000 lights, Shop for unique gifts from 20+ local vendors, Enjoy delicious treats from local food trucks and breweries. November 22 to January 19, 2018 @ The Enjoy Centre 101 Riel Dr, St. Albert

Light Walk: Experience magic as you walk through the Temperate Pyramid. There will be a variety of light installations that will light up the space and transform it into a winter wonderland @ Every Wednesday and Thursday starting November 14 @ Muttart Conservatory

Holiday Events

Sleigh Rides in Old Strathcona: Ring in the holiday season with a festive holiday sleigh ride around Old Strathcona! Sunday, December 2 and 9, and Saturday, December 15 & 22. | 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM @ Old Strathcona

Candlelight Christmas: Traditions weave people together through a common experience. For more than twenty years, the McDades have participated in this wonderful Christmas tradition at John Walter Museum. Join us for music, good cheer and enjoy the simple beauty of these 19th century homes. December 6 to 22 @ John Walter Museum

Other Family Activities

Santa’s Workshop : November 24 – December 31
Get in the holiday spirit and visit Santa’s Workshop. See a stunning display of poinsettias of all sizes and colours and become Santa’s little helper in the process.

BODY WORLDS: ANIMALS INSIDE OUT: From goats to giraffes, elephants to eels and octopuses to ostriches visitors will discover the form and function of animals both exotic and familiar. Animal biology textbooks spring to life in this unforgettable museum learning experience.

Little Red Riding Hood: A Christmas Pantomime

You may have heard of this classic European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf, but this story is unlike any other. Starting December 14th, come experience Little Red Riding Hood at the Capitol Theatre and watch the story of a free-spirited little girl with the dream of becoming a pop star. Details

December 14 to 31, 2018

Capitol Theatre — Fort Edmonton park
7000 143 Street, Edmonton

$30 to $40

Singin’ in the Rain

The “Greatest Movie Musical of All Time” is faithfully and lovingly adapted by Broadway legends, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay in Singin’ in the Rain. Each unforgettable scene, song and dance is accounted for, including the show-stopping title number, complete with an onstage rainstorm! Details

December 15 to 30, 2018

Festival Place, 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park

$25 to $40

Oh! Christmas Tree

Lucy, an overworked party planner with a doggedly sentimental attachment to Christmas, is looking forward to sharing her family’s holiday rituals (most of which involve spontaneous ethnic dances and eating stinky fish) with her fiancé Algar, especially now that they are living together. Algar, who loves Lucy but hates Christmas, decides to take a stand by refusing to put up a Christmas tree. Details

December 11th-23rd, 2018

Roxy on the Gateway, 8529 Gateway Blvd. Edmonton

$15 to $22

The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant…Ever!

The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant….Ever! is seemingly a dull task for Mrs. O’Brien, who has been put in charge when the original leader, Mrs. Armstrong, hits a moose with her car. What could be so hard? It’s always the same Mary and Joseph and it’s always the same Christmas carols, but no one was expecting the Herdmans to show up for the auditions!!!! Details

December 12 to 23, 2018

Backstage Theatre, 10330 84 Ave., Edmonton

$22.95 to $28.95

Clara’s Dream…Edmonton’s Ukrainian Nutcracker!

Joining Shumka are guest artists from Edmonton’s Citie Ballet and Viter Ukrainian Folk Choir, and Ukraine’s Virsky and Kyiv Ballet companies. Not only is Clara’s Dream a luxurious production loved by all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities, it is a true “Edmonton Nutcracker.” Reflective of the city and its ethnic vitality, the production features ballet, folk dance, and character dance in a celebration of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Christmas classic. Details.

December 22 & 23, 2018

Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

$18.75 – $80 + charges

A Christmas Carol

Three Ghosts of Christmas show Scrooge the value of giving. A Christmas Carol, now in its 19th (and final) season, is universally beloved for its dynamic themes and uplifting message. Details.

Friday, November 30 to Sunday, December 23, 2018

Citadel Theatre, Edmonton

$30 & up

God Is Scottish Drag Queen

God Is A Scottish Drag Queen parts 1 and 2 come together into a full two act comedy of biblical proportions. God, dressed in a floral power suit comes down to skewer everything from the Pope to the Holy Land Experience in an unforgettable night of comedy! Details

Friday, December 21, 2018 | 8:00 PM

Myer Horowitz Theatre – 8900 114 Street NW, Edmonton

$26.25 – $35.00

III. Sports & Related Events

Edmonton Oilers

Full Moon Birkie Series

Cross country ski under the light of the full moon! Enjoy 2 to 12 km ski tour on track-set trails
Fat Bike demo courtesy of United Cycle, Live owl exhibit,
Hot chocolate and snacks, If the snow conditions do not allow for skiing, we will hike the trail.

Snowshoe & Stargaze

With a park interpreter as your guide, navigate the sky of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve; without the glow of city lights around you’ll see more than you knew existed. After learning about the constellations above, strap your snowshoes back on for the short hike back to the Astotin Lake Recreation Area.

The VOID, Nicodemus: Demon of Banishment

Edmonton, are you ready for something totally unreal? Challenge your friends to an out of this world battle in a truly immersive hyper-reality experience (we’re talking sight, sound, touch, smell and motion) that will leave you questioning what is, and is not real. Details

EXHIBITIONS & Other Events

In Flew Enza: The Spanish Flu Comes to Alberta

In 1918 a mysterious illness swept the globe. It struck erratically and swiftly, seeming to target otherwise healthy young adults. Its victims could be well in the morning and dead by nightfall. In Flew Enza: The Spanish Flu Comes to Alberta focuses on the societal impacts of the “Spanish Flu.”

Annual holiday exhibition, showcasing a variety of colours, techniques, and inspiration to celebrate the season; landscapes, still lifes, abstracts, impressionistic, urban, and figurative styles are all represented.. Details